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In an effort to bring order to the vast array of pet products offered online at various prices, David Keh founded DugDug, a website that searches pet products and prices for owners. Currently, the website handles only dog products, but Keh plans to broaden its focus to include items for cats, birds, reptiles and more. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)/Bucks blog

A dog owner with an entrepreneurial bent has started a Web site aimed at making it easier for pet lovers to find the right products at the right price.

DugDug is a new price comparison site that aims to provide pet product information from multiple online retailers in a clear, easily understandable format, said David Keh, the site’s founder.

Mr. Keh, a former hedge fund analyst, said he created DugDug out of his own frustration as a new pet owner. (He owns a standard poodle.) When searching for supplies online, he said, most comparison sites returned information that wasn’t presented in a helpful way. For instance, when searching for medications, searching by the product name most often produced lists that weren’t sorted based on the pet’s weight or by the number of doses supplied, making it difficult to compare prices. “You get nonsensical results,” he said. “It was a huge frustration.”

So Mr. Keh’s site attempts to sort products in a more meaningful way. A search on DugDug, for instance, for Advantix, a killer of canine fleas and ticks, returns a menu of options, based on the pet’s weight. When you click on the proper weight (11-20 pounds, say), an appropriate list of vendors and prices appears.

DugDug also includes any coupons next to each item. That way, users can receive the discount when buying the item, rather than having to scour the Web for potentially available coupon codes, he said. (If users want, they can also use an optional browser tool, called Rover, that automatically notifies them of coupons as they visit different Web sites.)

DugDug doesn’t conduct any sales itself. Rather, once you find the best price, you select the vendor and are taken to that Web site to complete the sale. DugDug receives a fee from some sites if you click through and make a purchase. But the site lists the vendors with the best prices, Mr. Keh said, whether or not the site has a commission deal with DugDug.

(If you are buying a pet medication that requires a prescription, you must eventually provide one from your veterinarian — or, often, the site you buy from will contact your veterinarian to verify it, or to request one on your behalf. In general, though, you need to see a veterinarian in person at some point, to obtain the prescription. Mr. Keh says DugDug screens prescription sites displayed on its searches to weed out disreputable carriers that may be offering counterfeit drugs.)

Mr. Keh said he might be new to pets, but has always been entrepreneurial. While an undergraduate at Stanford, said, he ran a business from his dorm room changing the backlighting on cellphones, earning as much as $150 each.

DugDug focuses on dogs, but will be gradually rolling out other pet categories like cats, birds, fish, reptiles and small pets (including ferrets, guinea pigs, gerbils etc.) over the next several weeks.

Other plans for the Web site include comparison shopping tools for pet insurance, an area Mr. Keh said he saw as lacking in transparency. “We’ll give information on prices and differences in coverage,” he said.

More than half of cats are overweight, says the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, and the number of portly felines is up 90% from 2007, according to a report from Banfield Pet Hospital. Obesity can lead to health problems for cats, such as diabetes and arthritis, but the condition is preventable. This article lists some ways to help keep cats fit and trim, including regular veterinary exams, exercise and appropriate diet. ChicagoNow.com/Steve Dale’s Pet World blog

Loads of Americans have developed spare tires around their middles, and so have many of our pets. Cats are particularly portly; about 55 percent of tabbies are tubby, says the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. Some suggest this is a conservative number.

According to the Banfield Pet Hospital 2012 State of Pet Health Report, there’s been a whopping 90 percent rise in overweight and obese cats since 2007. Yet, nearly 70 percent of cat owners say their purring pal is purr-fectly svelte. Cats don’t become hefty overnight, so some owners just can’t tell; without visiting a veterinarian, they have no idea what their pet weights. Other owners have a skewed idea of what cats should look like, thinking tubby is cute. Still other owners are simply in denial.

In any case, the rise of portly cats has become epidemic, and the impact is undeniable. Diabetes and arthritis have never been so prevalent in cats. In fact, behavior problems — which can lead to euthanasia — may be more common in overweight cats. For example, weight gain may contribute to arthritis, so it hurts kitty to step into the litter box or walk up/down the stairs leading to the box. Some pudgy cats can barely fit into a litter box. As a result, some have accidents and are relinquished to shelters or simply left outdoors to fend for themselves.

Some cancers are associated with obesity, and a lack of mental and physical exercise may heighten the probability of cognitive dysfunction (dementia) in older cats. Obese cats also have difficulty grooming themselves.

So, why are there so many tubby tabbies today? There are several explanations:

1. Spay/neuter: More cats than  ver are being spayed or neutered (about 90 percent), which is good. However, there’s a consequence to these procedures, which is seldom discussed. Cats who’ve been “fixed” do experience a drop in energy needs, yet tend to be hungrier. As a result, they have a tendency to beg for table food, or even cat food, often “training” their people to give it to them. This eventually becomes a vicious cycle: The cats pack on pounds as their metabolism slows, making exercise less likely, further boosting weight gain.

2. Free feeding: Leaving food out 24/7 in multi-cat homes makes it impossible for owners to keep track of which cat has eaten what. Cats do train us very well as their automatic food dispensers.

3. Indoors only: Studies show outdoor cats spend about 17 percent of their time traveling/hunting. Indoor-only cats are safer, but do spend far more time catnapping.

So, what to do? Exercise isn’t only important for dogs and people. Use an interactive toy to engage your kitty. Hide food treats in puzzle balls and toys around the house when you’re not home so your little lion can “hunt.” Enrich your cat’s environment by providing toys and lots of places to climb and scratch. Note: Toys can be as simple as an empty box or plastic cap from a milk bottle.

Some indoor cats enjoy walking outside on a leash and harness. “Catios” are the cat’s meow — a trend in New York City and elsewhere whereby patios and porches are enclosed, keeping felines in and potential predators out. Learn more about enriching your pet’s environment in a free handout from the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine,  Dr. Tony Buffington’s Indoor Pet Initiative.

For spayed/neutered cats yet to win the battle of the bulge, there’s good news. The new Spayed/Neutered cat food from Royal Canin provides a unique blend of appetite-curbing fibers, and the donut-shaped kibble slows down cats’ eating, (There’s a Spayed/Neutered diet available for kittens to senior cats, all age groups.)

Remember that a year in a cat’s life is equivalent to about four or six human years. Make sure your pet sees a veterinarian at least once a year for preventive care, which includes being weighed. Owners are often unaware their cat has become plump. Veterinarians are the best source of advice on weight loss. Beware: Crash diets may cause fatty liver disease, which can be fatal.

Diabetes can be difficult for pet owners to recognize (another reason for veterinary visits). Diabetic cats do require insulin, such as ProZinc, specifically created for cats. It turns out that with exercise and a high protein/low carbohydrate diet, weight loss may follow, and some cats then go into remission.

Through diet and scheduled feedings, even spayed/neutered cats may not be so determined to eat. And for those who are already rotund, veterinarians can create a plan to enhance your cat’s quality of life, and maybe even extend the pet’s life.

Veterinarian Anna O’Brien explains the causes and treatment of two common equine eye emergencies: corneal ulcers and eyelid lacerations. Items commonly found in the barn are often the culprit behind these traumatic injuries, Dr. O’Brien writes, but timely and appropriate veterinary care is usually enough to treat them effectively.

Unlike cattle, sheep, and goats, where the majority of eye issues are infectious, the majority of equine eye problems I see are trauma-related and result in corneal ulcerations.
It is my scientific opinion that horse eyes seem predisposed to getting poked out. This is most likely due to their anatomical location, which is namely right on the corners of the head, sticking out like headlights on an old VW Bug. Sharp objects apparently roam the Earth searching for horse eyes.

One of the most common culprits is, unfairly, the very food they eat. Long wiry pieces of hay shooting out of the trough or hay net are almost always in the “Usual Suspect” lineup when we play the game, “Who Poked Out My Horse’s Eye?”
As with cattle and small ruminants with inflamed and infected eyes, horses with corneal ulcerations exhibit similar signs. Horse owners will observe a forcefully closed eye, excessive tearing, with perhaps some head shyness or avoidance of light, depending on the disposition of the horse. As hours pass, the cornea may become cloudy, and white or yellowish discharge instead of tears may weep from the eye.
The beginning of any emergency equine exam starts with sedation and a nerve block of the upper eyelid to allow me to open the eye wide. Then, if I suspect trauma and corneal damage, I’ll apply a special stain to the eye. This stain will glow neon green if the delicate tissue underneath the outer layer of the cornea is exposed due to ulceration. Sometimes the area of ulceration is literally the size of a needlepoint. But no matter what the size, ulceration is ulceration and requires treatment.
Most mild corneal ulcerations can be treated with topical antibiotic ointment and some pain medication. Others are more complicated. If the ulcer is large, healthy epithelial tissue sometimes has difficulty adhering to the cornea, and healing is non-productive. If this is the case, we sometimes have to scrape the eye to remove the old tissue, giving the new tissue something to adhere to.
Other times, the ulceration has allowed bacteria inside the eye, setting up what is called a stromal abscess. These can be very difficult to treat, requiring intensely frequent applications of multiple types of medications. At the very worst, an ulcer can be deep enough to rupture the eye. This is why eye issues are always an emergency, since you can never be sure at first exactly how deep the problem really is.
Eyelid lacerations are another extremely common equine eye problem. Like the ubiquitous hay stalk waiting to cause a corneal ulcer, another common barn object is frequently the cause of dangling eyelids: the hooks at the ends of water bucket handles. These curved metal pieces on the sides of hanging buckets just seem to jump out at horse eyes and grab on to upper eyelids for dear life, resulting in a gruesome find for the owner the next morning.
Luckily, eyelid lacerations usually look much worse than they really are. They bleed a lot and swell a lot, making the horse look like he’s been in a bar fight involving brass knuckles and a switchblade. However, after sedation and nerve blocks and a little careful stitching with very fine suture material and a teeny tiny needle, the horse usually comes out of it looking much better. The only challenge is not letting the horse rub his head once the stitches become itchy a few days later.
Sometimes with an eyelid laceration, the owner will ask why I don’t just trim off the lacerated portion rather than sew it back on. The answer is that horse’s eyes are so big, they need all the lid they can get. Eyelids are the best protection the eyeball has against the pokey world and even a small missing portion can sometimes result in chronic eye irritation.
Although we’ve covered the traumatic cases of equine eye emergencies, we haven’t even touched on things like cancer of the eye and a weird thing only horses get called “moon blindness.” Shall we say, stay tuned?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 21, 2013 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that Kasel Associates Industries Inc. is recalling all pet treats it manufactured from April 20 through Sept. 19, 2012 due to potential contamination with Salmonella. Kasel has issued three previous recall notices for specific products manufactured during this time period.

The move comes after the Colorado Department of Agriculture tested a retail sample of a Kasel pet treat product and found it to be positive for Salmonella. Based on FDA’s follow-up inspection at the firm, FDA found that all of the finished pet treat product samples and 48 out of 87 environmental samples collected during the inspection tested positive for Salmonella. More than ten different species of Salmonella were found in the firm’s products and manufacturing facility, indicating multiple sources of contamination.

While there are no reports of human illness, FDA has received a small number of complaints of illness in dogs who were exposed to the treats. Because of the multiple positive tests for Salmonella, and the production practices and conditions observed at the facility during the inspection, FDA believes that there is a reasonable probability that pet treat products manufactured in the facility from April 20, 2012 through September 19, 2012 are contaminated with Salmonella.

Both people and animals can contract Salmonellosis from handling or eating contaminated products. People handling dry pet treats should thoroughly wash their hands after having contact with the treats as well as any surfaces exposed to these products.

Consumers who have any of these products, or who are unsure of the manufacturing date of their pet treats, should dispose of them in ways that people and animals, including wild animals, cannot access them, such as placing them in a securely lidded garbage can.

The Kasel-manufactured products are sold at various retailers, including Target, Petco, Sam’s Club and Costco. Most of the products have a two-year shelf life.

All of the products were made in the U.S. This action is not related to FDA’s ongoing investigation of jerky pet treats made in China.

Salmonella is a public health risk and is one of the most common causes of foodborne illness. Healthy people infected with Salmonella may experience some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Although rare, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments including arterial infections, endocarditis (inflammation of the lining of the heart), arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with the products subject to this recall should contact their health care provider immediately.

Pets with Salmonella infections may become lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets may experience only a decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected, but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed any of the affected product or is experiencing any of these symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately.

The elderly, infants and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to become severely ill from Salmonella infection. The bacterium can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in these vulnerable populations. Most healthy individuals recover from Salmonella infections within four to seven days without treatment.

As with humans, dogs who are elderly, very young or have impaired immune systems are more vulnerable to Salmonella infection.

On his daily tour, Capt. Joe Dutra of Hornblower Cruises in California encountered what he called a “super mega-pod” of thousands of swimming dolphins that he estimated to be five miles wide and seven miles long. Dolphins’ social groups usually number no more than 200 individuals, but abundant resources could bring multiple pods together, said scientist Sarah Wilkin. “They were coming from all directions — you could see them from as far as the eye can see,” Dutra said. “I’ve seen a lot of stuff out here … but this is the biggest I’ve ever seen, ever.” KNSD-TV (San Diego)

Thousands of dolphins spanning across 7 miles of ocean were  sighted off the coast of San Diego on Thursday, a boat captain told NBC 7 San  Diego.

Capt. Joe Dutra of Hornblower Cruises said he saw a “super mega-pod” of common  dolphins Thursday around noon while he was on his daily tour. He said the pod  was more than 7 miles long and 5 miles wide.

Dutra said the boat tour followed the pod for more than an  hour and said he’s never seen anything like it.

“When you see something that is honestly truly beyond  belief,” the captain said.

Guests aboard the boat started screaming and pointing when  they first saw the school of adult and juvenile common dolphins. Dutra estimated  there were about 100,000 dolphins swimming in the area.

“They were coming from all directions, you could see them  from as far as the eye can see,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of stuff out here… but this is the biggest I’ve ever seen, ever.” Whale and dolphin watching tours have done particularly well this year, with  dozens of animal sightings reported.

Marine mammal expert Sarah Wilkin said the reason the large  pod might be there is because there’s plenty of food in the area, including  sardines, herring and squid.

“They’re attracted to kind of the same thing, they might wind  up in the same place,” she said.

Though dolphins typically travel in groups of 200 or less,  Wilkin said “super-pods” are not unheard of.

“They’re definitely social animals, they stick together in  small groups,” she said. “But sometimes, the schools come together.”

Dutra, who’s been boating for decades, said he felt lucky to  enjoy such a rare phenomenon.

“You had to be there to experience it,” he said.  “It  was truly spectacular.”

Source:  https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Thousands-of-Dolphins-Spotted-Near-San-Diego-191455121.html#ixzz2LT1k1wdb

While there are lifestyle changes that can help alleviate arthritic pain in pets, such as soft beds, glucosamine supplements, proper exercise and weight management, veterinarian Marty Becker suggests owners get educated about the medications available to help treat chronic pain in pets. Veterinarians can provide medications that are safe and effective and tailored for each pet’s needs. The Sacramento Bee (Calif.) (free registration)

There are things you can do to treat your dog’s arthritis without using a prescription pain medication from your veterinarian, such as providing soft beds (warmed in the winter), glucosamine supplements and regular moderate exercise, and getting your pet down to a proper weight. But if these measures are not enough, you need to discuss effective prescription pain control with your veterinarian.

I know a little something about chronic pain, thanks to a chronic neurological condition, and I can tell you it’s a miserable way to spend a life. And yet so many pets are in such misery because their owners have “heard” that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are deadly.

While no medication, however helpful, is without the potential for side effects (including very serious ones), the NSAIDs available from your veterinarian have high marks for safety as long as precautionary protocols are followed, including diagnostic tests to spot possible problems with internal organs.

Discuss all your options and all the precautions, and work with your veterinarian to ease your pet’s suffering while minimizing the potential for side effects. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has an excellent free publication on NSAIDs (tinyurl.com/petpainmeds), and I encourage you to download it.

– Dr. Marty Becker

By Robert Barnes,   Feb 19, 2013 10:20 PM EST  The Washington Post

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with a drug-sniffing German shepherd named Aldo in ruling that police do not have to extensively document a dog’s expertise to justify relying on the animal to search someone’s vehicle.

It takes more than a love of cats to care for them properly, according to veterinarian Lorie Huston. Prospective owners should think through the decision to add a cat to the family, and be prepared for a lifelong commitment to the animal’s care and health, Dr. Huston notes. Such a commitment includes meeting the cat’s basic needs but also providing enrichment, veterinary care and including the pet in planning for an emergency. PetMD.com

February is National Pet Dental Health Month, but pets’ oral health should be a year-round priority because dental disease can lead to systemic problems involving the liver, kidneys and heart, writes veterinarian Karen Dye. Fear of anesthesia is not a reason to forgo veterinary dental cleanings, Dr. Dye notes, because thorough lab tests before the procedure, appropriate anesthetic choices and monitoring during anesthesia all tailored to a specific breed and animal help ensure a pet’s safety. The Culpeper Star-Exponent (Va.)

Q:  I know February is National Pet Dental Health Month, but I am worried about the risk of anesthesia.

A:  Anesthesia always involves some risk, but there are many precautions that can make anesthesia as safe as possible.  The risks of dental disease usually outweigh the risks of anesthesia.  Bacteria from dental disease can affect the whole body including the heart, liver and kidneys.

At my practice, we use only uses the safest, most modern anesthetic medications for any procedure.  Most of these drugs are used every day in human hospitals.  Your pet will benefit from the advanced safety of modern anesthesia.  State of the art computerized monitoring equipment is also used to keep every patient as safe as possible.  Your pet’s heart rate, EKG, respiration, blood oxygen saturation, and core body temperature will be constantly monitored during the procedure using the latest VetSpecs PC-VSM3 multi-parameter digital anesthetic monitor.

Tracheal intubation during general anesthesia maintains adequate ventilation.  The simple act of placing a tracheal tube will ensure your pet receives enough oxygen throughout the procedure, a key component in anesthesia safety.

Intravenous fluid therapy will help protect your pet’s kidneys from damage during anesthesia.  Healthy kidneys are vital to a long, happy life.  No human hospital would ever perform general anesthesia without IV fluids, yet many veterinary hospitals skip this important step.  The IV catheter placed to administer fluids can also be life-saving.  If minor abnormalities occur during the procedure, appropriate medications can be rapidly administered intravenously when a catheter is present.  With early detection from a computerized monitor, and speedy treatment through a catheter, our medical team can often keep small problems from turning into larger ones.

To protect against dangerously low body temperature, we use a high tech water circulating heating pad system.  This system will not burn the patient.  When we say as safe as possible, we mean it.

From the moment your pet is anesthetized until after he or she wakes up, a highly educated member of our medical team is by his or her side.  No anesthetized patient is ever left alone, not even for a second.  Our professional staff regularly attends continuing education courses on the newest, safest anesthetic techniques.  We will be there to hold your pet’s paw.

We use breed-specific profiling as well.  Certain breeds carry specific predispositions that should be addressed prior to anesthesia.  Examples include clotting disorders in Dobermans, heart murmurs in Maine Coon cats, and drug sensitivities in Greyhounds.  Brachycephalic breeds (bulldogs, pugs, Boston terriers, Pekingese) can have brachycephalic syndrome with increased respiratory effort with the potential for upper airway obstruction.  We avoid excessive sedation with brachycephalic breeds, administering pre-medications at half-dose.  We also pre-oxygenate brachycephalic breeds and use short-acting induction agents.  Appropriate sized tracheal tubes are selected and extubation does not occur until your pet is sitting up, vigorous, bright and alert.  Sighthounds (greyhounds, whippets, Borzoi, Salukis) have delayed metabolism, lower body fat percentage and are at risk for hypothermia.  These risks are kept very low since we use high tech monitoring equipment and warm water circulating heating pads.  Herding breeds (collies, shelties, Australian shepherds and border collies) can have a mutation resulting in accumulation of certain drugs in the cerebral spinal fluid, followed by excessive sedation and respiratory depression.  For these patients, we reduce certain medications by 25% and monitor carefully.

In conclusion, it is important to keep your pet healthy and dental health is a critical component of overall health and well being.  Modern protocols, like the ones at Clevengers Corner Veterinary Care, minimize anesthetic risk and maximize the benefit of a clean, healthy mouth.

Dr. Dye practices companion animal medicine and surgery at Clevengers Corner Veterinary Care.  She and Dr. Watts can be reached at (540)428-1000 or through ClevengersCorner.com.